


Paradise

by Purplesauris



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Inspired by a picture of Levi's space bandanas, M/M, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Quotes from manga/anime, canon character death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-11
Updated: 2014-08-11
Packaged: 2018-02-12 17:04:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2117871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Purplesauris/pseuds/Purplesauris
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eren has always loved stars, loved how they look hanging in the night sky as he sits on his roof while he should be asleep. The man that accompanies them is a blessing as well.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Paradise

**Author's Note:**

> I get inspired to write these types of things at the oddest times. Title inspired by the song Paradise by Coldplay. Levi's star form is inspired by Tigers Voyage by Colleen Houck. Love the fic? Want to give constructive criticism? Do so in my inbox at purplesauris.tumblr.com!

People always talk about space as some giant mystery just waiting to be solved, a black slate dotted with twinkling lights to illuminate the darkness, to give comfort. Maybe they’re right. 

When someone thinks about space, they don't think of a person as pale as the stars, hair as black as the deepest parts of space, eyes that glow like a million stars all clustered together. But that's what space was to Eren; maybe he was dreaming when the man appeared and wrapped his arms around him, pulling him into a dark and comforting embrace. The man never spoke a word to Eren, just held him as Eren sleepily babbled about the stars and nice spirits he had met. 

It became routine, every night Eren would climb up with his blanket even when snow covered the roof his spot remained clear. Eren would sit wrapped in the man’s arms, even when he couldn't feel his fingers while waiting for him to appear. Eren would fall asleep partway through a story, feeling cool lips press a soft kiss to his forehead as the stars move Eren back into his bedroom, tucking him neatly under the covers. Eren doesn’t know his name, doesn’t even know much about him other than the fact that he cares for the stars, gives them life to shine bright at night or grant the occasional wish. Even with that glaring fact, Eren trusts him, trusts the man that he calls Cosmos that sits and listens to all the silly stories Eren tells and lends a shoulder for Eren to cry on when he gets in a fight. Eren asks his mother one night, what it feels like to be in love like his mommy and daddy are, and when she tells him Eren becomes certain that he loves his friend in the stars.

Eren grows up with Cosmos by his side, whether at night on his roof or in Eren’s shadow, hidden to all, even Eren. When Eren turns 10 Cosmos stops visiting him on the roof at night, and even though Eren no longer has the warmth Cosmos offered him during the winter he still sits on the roof. Eren is sick most of the winter that year, but never gives up on Cosmos, climbing onto the roof even though he can barely stand. 

Eren is 11 when his mother and father are murdered in front of his eyes as he comes home from school, watching as his mother's throat is cut, her eyes open wide in terror as she reaches out to Eren. The last thing he sees of his father is his panicked eyes as he instructs Eren to run, to go hide until he comes and gets him. Eren runs further into the house, climbing up onto the roof as he fights not to throw up, images of his mother flashing in front of his eyes. Eren sleeps on the roof that night, crying and rocking himself as he waits for his father to find him and say that its alright, that everything is okay. He cries for his mother, he cries for Cosmos, pleading for him to come back just this once, to take him away from this place for good. Eren is woken up the next morning by sirens and frantic neighbors yelling throughout the neighborhood, screaming his name in shaken tones as other people huddle together in groups, sobbing and crying. Eren slips in his window and pads down the hall, making his way down the stairs clumsily, stopping at the sight of his destroyed living room, blood staining the walls and carpet. 

He sees his mother lying on the ground, blood coating the skin of her neck and seeping into her clothes. He sees his father next, slumping against the wall, blood staining his face in trails, his glasses broken and discarded to the side. When Eren creeps closer, going to shake his father he sees the small hole in the middle of his forehead, the blood splattered on the wall behind his head and suddenly hands are pulling him away, covering his eyes from the gruesome sight just seconds too late. 

“No! Let me go! Mom! Dad! Someone! Please I don’t want to die!” Eren starts screaming, wailing at the top of his lungs as he struggles against the strong hands that grip his arms. He looks around frantically as the hand is removed, watching as police officers surround him, the older lady that lives next door rushing into the house, pushing through the officers as she grabs Eren in a hug.

“Oh my dear boy thank God you’re alright!” Eren can see his Uncle Hannes in his police uniform standing just outside the door, face petrified as he looks at Eren, alive and unscathed. Eren is led outside, eyes covered to keep him from seeing anymore. People are chattering all around him, asking if he saw the assailants, where he was, if he was hurt in any way.

Eren is numb to it all, hardly noticing when a blanket is wrapped around his shoulders and Hannes is speaking to him. He can see a head of blonde hair and a red scarf peeking through the crowd, eyes alight with curiosity and concern. 

Hannes takes Eren in, housing him as he tries to convert to living without a mother or father. Eren is 11 when he loses everything; his parents, the life he knew, his trust in the one person he thought would never break it. Eren can no longer go up to the roof to stargaze, but he no longer wants to. Eren’s eyes become dull, face pale as he lives a life trapped by his overprotective uncle who he knows only means the best. He goes through his middle school years with everyone tiptoeing around him, acting out of pity instead of friendship. By the time Eren is 13 everything has faded away to a bad memory and the light returns to Eren’s eyes when he rekindles his love of stars. 

Eren is 15 when he witnesses his uncle being killed outside their apartment building as they’re bringing groceries in. The bags drop from Eren’s arms as he reaches out to catch Hannes as he falls, a bullet lodged in his forehead, and when Eren screams for someone to call the police his eyes widen in horror as he sees his father laying in his arms, then his uncle, the image blurring together as he stares at that little hole. Blood has splattered across Eren’s face, sticking to his skin as he holds his uncle in his arms, crying silent tears as he hears sirens and slamming doors, and hands are prying Hannes from his grip, pulling everything apart. Eren doesn’t stay for the whole funeral, just long enough to give a speech about how kind his uncle was before he makes his escape, going to sit with his mother.

Eren is put into foster care for a year before Elizabeth, a kind old lady that Eren vaguely remembers from his childhood appears and adopts him, bringing him back to where everything began. He lives the next two years of his life before graduating living next to the house his parents were murdered in. 

“Hey Granny? Is it alright if I go out tonight?”

“Going to that clearing to stargaze?” Eren nods with a small smile, telescope tucked in its case and clutched to Eren’s chest. “Don’t stay out too terribly late!”

“Thanks Granny!” Eren bolts out the back door of the small ranch house, feet carrying him through the trees following a path he knows by heart by now. When Eren first moved in with Granny he continually ran, hiding away in the forest for days on end until his guilt got the better of him and he made his way back home. Granny never said anything, just welcomed him with a warm meal and a hug, asking if he had a grand time on his latest adventure. 

The air is cool as Eren sets his telescope up in the middle of a clearing filled with thousands upon thousands of purple flowers that sway gently in the wind. Eren smiles in contentment as he adjusts the focus until stars come into view, twinkling merrily as they shine in the darkness of the night sky. Eren settles next to his telescope when clouds roll through, blocking his view of the stars in all their glory. Eren feels his heart skip a beat as he stares bitterly up at the clouds, noting that when he wanted to see the stars, needed to see them they weren’t visible. 

“Am I not worth your time anymore? Can’t even let me see the stars you take care of?” Eren reclines among the flowers, sighing as vague memories of cool lips and warmth surrounding him pester at him. The clouds clear, the moon shining full as a low growl is heard in the clearing. Eren swallows hard as he spots eyes glowing in the darkness, eyes following Eren’s every movement as the wolf slinks lower and prepares to strike. All Eren can do is squeeze his eyes shut and throw his arms up when the wolf springs into the air, sinking his teeth into Eren’s arm as he screams and tries to kick the wolf away, pain shooting through his arm as sharp teeth tear at his right arm. 

He hears a yelp of pain that isn’t his own and suddenly the teeth are gone, the night going silent as Eren cautiously opens his eyes and looks around. The wolf is nowhere to be seen and Eren takes the opportunity to scramble up, right arm hanging uselessly at his side as he runs the opposite way, away from the clearing and the huge black shape curled up near his telescope, twinkling like the night sky itself. Eren is halfway through the back door when his knees give out and he falls forwards with a thud, blood dripping onto the carpet as Granny comes shuffling up. 

“Eren!” 

“Wolf.” Is all Eren says as Granny nods and helps Eren stand, wrapping his arm in a rag as she loads him into her car and drives to the hospital, Granny walking up to the desk calmly, pointing to Eren.

“I need medical treatment for my son immediately, he was mauled by a wolf.”

“Alright, just fill out this form and go sit down, a doctor will call for you shortly once he’s cared for.” Granny gives an angry sigh but does as she says, filling the forms out as Eren is led away, the doctors sitting him down and looking him over. Eren is a little put off by the mountain of a doctor he gets, a tall blonde man with odd eyebrows and intense blue eyes.

“Hello there young man, my name is Erwin Smith, I’ll be patching you up.”

“Eren.” Erwin shakes his good hand before pulling on latex gloves and untying the rag from around Eren’s arm, humming thoughtfully as he uses disinfecting wipes to clean the gashes and punctures before he begins stitching up Eren's destroyed skin. 

“So how did this happen?”

“I was out stargazing when a wolf came and attacked me.”

“A wolf? They aren’t usually around this time of year. You mentioned stargazing? Do you do that a lot?”

“Not as much as I used to. I lost interest for a while and just recently got back into it.” Eren winces when Erwin accidentally digs into his skin a little more than necessary but doesn't say anything about it. 

“You’re quite lucky you know, usually a wolf wouldn’t stop an attack and allow you to get away.”

Eren’s eyes narrow at the knowing expression on Erwin's face. “Your point?”

“I was just remarking about how you got off easy. Be careful when showering and try not to lay on this arm. The stitches will fall out on their own so you don’t have to come back in.” Erwin disposes of his gloves as Eren looks at his arm wrapped in bandages. Eren stands up and moves to leave when Erwins soft voice stops him. “Wait just a little bit longer, alright Eren? He wants to see you.”

Eren shakes his head and fights to keep his voice even. “I don’t know who you’re talking about.” Eren hurries out, Granny not commenting when he hurries them out, staying silent as she drives them home. 

“Eren?” Granny’s voice stops Eren before he can hide in his room for the rest of the night.

“Yeah?” Eren pauses, arms hanging loosely by his sides. 

"If you go out again tonight, take the gun with you." Eren gives a sigh of relief when she doesn't outright ban him from going back, even though he has no plans to go for at least a week to allow time for the wolf to lose interest.

Eren gives Granny a hug and a murmured thank you before he locks himself in his room, the lights off. Eren goes to flick on his lights but stops, his eyes widening as he moves to stand in the middle of his room. When he first moved in Granny painted his walls a deep navy and stuck plastic stars up, giving Eren his own little piece of "space". Now those plastic stars seem silly as he looks at the marvel splashed across his four walls. Beautiful stars that twinkle in greens, yellows, pinks and even blues in the darkness, illuminating all sorts of hidden treasures; nebulae that pulse in blues and greens, supernovas that look so real that Eren imagines he feels the heat on his skin, a spiral galaxy on the wall behind his bed. He sees a note sitting on his bed, the paper shimmering faintly as he reaches out with an unsteady hand and picks it up. Stars burst anywhere his skin touches the paper, but it doesn't deter him as he opens the note and reads its contents.

" _The night is even more richly colored than the day. . . . If only one pays attention to it, one sees that certain stars are citron yellow, while others have a pink glow or a green, blue and forget-me-not brilliance. And without my expiating on this theme, it should be clear that putting little white dots on a blue-black surface is not enough._

— Vincent Van Gogh"

Eren blinks as the words on the paper shine brightly before they fade into nothingness. Eren scrambles to get a pen, writing the quote down while it's in his head and writing another on the shimmering paper. 

" _Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light; I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night._

— Sarah Williams"

The paper bursts into a thousand sparkling particles, raining down onto the floor where they disappear, and Eren can't help but wonder why now, of all times. Eren goes over to the light switch, flicking it on and beaming when he realizes the stars aren't visible with a light on, meaning he won't have to try and explain anything to Granny. He flicks the light off again and reaches out to touch one of the bigger stars, pulling his hand back in surprise when his fingers tingle with warmth. Eren reaches out to feel the heat from the supernova and he shudders, feeling cold and warm as memories of a man so veiled in mystery overtake him as he pulls his hand away weakly, shuffling over to his bed and collapsing down on top of the covers. 

Eren can't bring himself to get out of bed the next morning, right arm aching dully as he stares at his now blank walls. He figures that the stars would follow the same pattern the night sky does, seeming to disappear while the sun shines high in the sky. He feels so weak, letting the man that abandoned him make him feel this way, so tired, so helpless when all he ever wanted to do was be loved. It occurs to him somewhere in the back of his mind that today is the day that Cosmos disappeared, and stubborn energy rushes through Eren when he realizes this. 

Eren gets up and showers, giving himself a pep talk as he dresses himself and changes the bandage on his arm. He makes his way into the kitchen, looking around as he calls out. "Granny? You home?"

Eren sees a note with familiar messy handwriting. "Eren, I've gone out for the day with Martha, I left you some pancakes warm in the microwave!" Written underneath is a quote that makes Eren smile as melancholy sweeps over him. " _I think that we are like stars. Something happens to burst us open; but when we burst open and think we are dying; we’re actually turning into a supernova. And then when we look at ourselves again, we see that we’re suddenly more beautiful than we ever were before!_

—C. JoyBell C."

Eren eats the offered pancakes quickly before grabbing his keys and wallet, heading into town for the day. He spends the day doing errands, picking up a couple things for himself and a cut of beef for stew that he plans on making when he gets come. He's on his way home when he sees a familiar head of blonde hair that makes his heart ache. Blue eyes look at him in curiosity before widening, and Eren has to set his bags down to be able to catch the smaller body that barrels into him. His arms go around the smaller male tightly, squeezing him reassuringly as arms go around his neck, wrapping so tight he fears he'll never be able to get his breath back. "Eren! Oh my god, Eren."

"Armin.." Eren gasps out his name, holding him like he'll never see him again. 

"You're alive, you're alright!" Armin's face is buried in Eren's neck as Eren cries into Armin's hair, petting it as they rock back and forth. "I missed you so much. Where have you been?" 

"That's a long story. Are you free for the rest of the day?" Armin nods his affirmative as Eren picks his bags up and Armin loops their arms together. He doesn't mention the bandages wrapped around Eren's right arm, and Eren offers no explanation. Eren lets the two of them into the house as Armin's eyes widen as he looks at the house next door. Eren ushers him in, not looking where Armin gaze is as he kicks off his shoes and leads them to the kitchen, Armin taking a seat at the table as Eren goes about chopping up the meat and vegetables, dropping them into the waiting pot. 

"Eren?" Eren sighs, closing his eyes before he turns around and leans against the counter. 

"You know my parents were murdered." Armin nods somberly and Eren runs a hand through his hair. "Uncle Hannes took me in, but he was killed too when I was 15. I spent a year in foster care before Elizabeth adopted me. I've lived here ever since."

"You never got in contact with us even though you were a street away?"

Eren looks at Armin's crushed expression and guilt gnaws at his gut and he pulls Armin from his chair, hugging him. Eren hides his face in the blonde hair he knows- knew more than he knew his own self and murmurs, tears choking him. "Everyone I care for dies, Armin. I couldn't have that happen to you or Mikasa."

"Oh Eren. It was never your fault they died. This world is cruel, and nothing will ever give good reason for why they were killed."

"But why them?"

"You can ask that your whole life and never get an answer, Eren. The people were caught, and now they can ask that while staring at bars."

"The world is cruel..." Armin shushes Eren softly, wiping away his tears as he smiles at him. 

"Is Cosmos still with you?" Armin looks mildly nervous at the bitter expression that grows on Eren's face. 

"No. He left a year before they died."

"He hasn't come back?" Eren looks at the sun that's dipping below the horizon before he sighs.

"I'll show you tonight, before you leave." Armin bonds enthusiastically just as Granny walks through the door, Armin smiling brightly as Granny hugs him. 

"Oh Armin, it's good to see you my boy! It's been years since you last stopped by. You're all grown up!"

"It's good to see you too, Elizabeth. Thank you for taking such good care of Eren."

"Oh it was nothing. He's like a son to me." Eren is smiling softly as Granny ruffles his hair and beams proudly.

"I made stew for dinner. Are you hungry?" Granny sniffs and nods as Eren serves her a bowl, Granny saying she's going to take it to her room. Eren and Armin eat in contented silence, Eren looking nervously at the darkened sky. 

"-and Jean was telling me about how Mikasa still shoots him down even though everyone can see she likes someone. We all think it's either him or Annie."

Eren shakes his head and grins. "She won't tell you, and when you're all together your friends give you looks, right?"

Armin nods, a contemplative look on his face. "You think her feelings aren't for them. You think they're for me."

"There ya go! Give it a chance, you two are practically made for each other." Eren grins as Armin's face flushes slightly, looking down at his empty bowl. Eren takes Armins hand and pulls him away from the table, heading for Eren's room. Eren pauses outside his door, drawing in a breath before letting it out slowly. "This is all I have from Cosmos." I let Armin open the door, stepping in behind him as he looks around him, face alight with childish wonder. 

"Eren.. It's like they're real!"

"They are. Touch one." Armin reaches out, pulling his hand back when he feels the heat on his fingertips. 

"This is incredible. Cosmos must really like you."

"Yeah maybe. C'mon, I'll drive you home." The drive is uneventful, and Armin gives Eren another crushing hug before Eren can drive home, and when Eren gets home he doesn't stop in, just walks around back and heads into the forest. The stars outside are just as lovely as the ones in his room, but he needs to get his telescope back before any animals wreck it or make it theirs. Eren moves blindly, shoving away branches as he breaks into the clearing and stops. The stars seem to have draped lazily throughout the clearing, glittering in the darkness as Eren freezes, breath catching as bright green eyes meet with molten silver. Eren realizes with a start that the creature in front of him covered in stars is a dragon, but not one you dream about as a child. The dragon is slender, with a snakelike body and thin legs that end in large talons. Eren briefly connects it to a Chinese dragon before he's transfixed by the large head moving as the dragon lazily stands, shaking itself out, light raining off of the mane-like fur around his neck. Horns curl back from the top of the dragons head, flowing back gently.

Eren isn't aware he's moving until his arms are wrapped around a strong neck, face buried in the dark fur. The great beast lets out a loud sigh, a contented noise vibrating his throat as Eren hugs him tightly. "Cosmos.."

Cosmos bows his head as Eren steps away, arms wrapping around his stomach loosely. "Eren." Eren's eyes widen when Cosmos curls in on himself, reverting back to a form that Eren knows well. Eren takes a couple of steps towards Cosmos, crystalline tears spilling down his face and dripping onto the grass underneath their feet. "I'm so-" a crack resounds through the air as Eren's hand connects with Cosmos' pale cheek, and Eren shoves him back, hands on Cosmos' chest.

"I don't want to hear it. Goddammit Cosmos-"

"Levi. My name is Levi."

"Eight fucking years, _Levi_ and not once did you come back. Not when I was 11 and watched my parents get _murdered_ and all I wanted was for you to come back just that once and say things would be alright. Not when I was 15 and my uncle was murdered by the same men and I lost the last thing in my life. I _trusted_ you and you took that and smashed it." There's a shimmering pale blue hand print on Levi's face in the shape of Eren's hand, and a fascinated aspect of Eren wonders if stardust flows through Levi's veins instead of blood. Levi is looking at him, face blank but eyes swimming with regret and sadness. Eren's hands curl into fists, gripping the fabric under his hands as his head tilts down and his voice cracks on a sob. "I waited years for you, Levi. I waited when my world was falling apart and I couldn't even see the stars."

"Eren." And there's so much emotion in Levi's soft voice, so much that it could suffocate someone in that single name. "I was always with you, Eren. Even if you couldn't see me, I was there. I watched you grow up hating me, watched you become the man that's in front of me."

"Why didn't you let me see you? Why was I all alone when you were right there?"

"I had to do what was best for you. When a child grows up, telling stories about a man that visits him at night giving only the explanation that he care for the stars it becomes... Childlike. Unbelievable. I knew that if I were to remain by your side, to allow you to believe, that it would ruin you. Please Eren, I wanted nothing more than to take you in my arms and never let you go when I saw the heartbroken look on your face as a child."

"I loved you."

"You still do. I read the note that you sent back." Eren draws in a shaky breath, squeezing his eyes shut as Levi wipes away tears that stick to Eren's cheek. "I will do whatever it takes to make it up to you, Eren. Even if it means I spend forever, I would give you all the stars if it meant I no longer had to see you hurt because of me." Levi's hands are gentle as he takes a hold of Eren's wrist, careful with Eren's right arm as he clasps Eren's hands in his. "Will you allow me to do so?"

Eren wants to, he can feel it thrumming in his veins, urging him to give in and accept Levi back. But a part of him still feels betrayed, still cannot trust that Levi won't leave him again. "You're like the stars." Levi looks mildly confused, nodding slowly. "Shining brightly one moment, gone the next." Eren had come to realize this throughout his little monologue, and he can't bring himself to look at Levi's face or meet his gaze, eyes cast to the ground. "You're right. I love you, Levi, but I can't do this. I can't hear you say you'll stay, and then one day wake up realizing that you're gone again and I'll have to live my life without you. It was hard enough losing my parents and you, I can't lose you a second time."

"Then come with me." Eren looks up, eyes glassy as Levi practically pleads. "I cannot promise that I'll be able to be with you forever of you remain here. So come with me, become a keeper alongside me, live with me for all eternity."

"I.. I can't leave my family."

"You don't have to." The voice that answers makes Eren jump as Granny puts a hand on Eren's shoulder and turns him gently. "Just as the sun sets and the stars come out at night, you will be able to as well."

"Granny..?" She smiles knowingly and pats his shoulders, hugging him for a moment. 

"I have watched over you your whole life Eren, just as my papa has. You will see your friends and family again, of that you shouldn't doubt. Just as papa comes to visit you as you grew and learned to love him, you can visit your friends every night if you so choose. Isn't that right, Papa?"

Eren looks upon Granny in a new light, looking at the way she seems to glow, faint but there as she smiles, Levi bowing his head respectfully. "It is. I wouldn't offer this if it meant you had to leave the life you made here behind."

"I..." Eren is lost momentarily, looking at Levi clearly, seeing that in the years Eren has missed him he hasn't changed one bit, hair still as black as the night, skin pale and eyes shining like a thousand stars. "I'm afraid."

Granny kisses his cheek before she takes Levi's hand. "Do not be afraid, I'll be with you, as will Papa." Levi cups Granny's cheeks and presses a kiss to her forehead, eyes closed as she falls apart, swirling in a great cloud of dust that condenses, becoming a small star that melts into Levi's hair, twinkling merrily. 

"Elizabeth is a star I have cared for since infancy, she is like a daughter to me. If anyone should assure you not to be afraid, it would be her."

"How..?" Levi gives a crooked smile and takes Eren's hands once more, pressing a kiss to the knuckles. 

"You have to want this, Eren. That's all you must do, I'll do the rest. Are you ready, my starlight?"

Levi drapes Eren's arms around his waist loosely as Levi's hands rest on his shoulders. Levi draws the two of them closer, faces inches from Eren's as Eren draws in a breath, sighing out the one word Levi needs. "Yes." Levi moves a hand to Eren’s neck, pulling him down as their lips connect in a soft kiss. Levi parts his lips, fingers tightening their hold as Eren opens his lips in response, jolting as Levi’s tongue traces his lips before he breathes some of himself into Eren, releasing him as Eren gulps in shocked breaths. 

And suddenly, everything is dark, and Eren feels as if he’s floating, suspended as he blinks and looks around. The darkness is comforting, but as Eren holds up a hand he nearly reels back in shock. He can see his veins, glowing a bright green, his skin appearing translucent as he looks at his hands in curiosity. As he focuses on the color in his veins he doesn’t notice the stars that rush in, making him jump as they stick to his skin, flooding him as he feels every inch of him covered, from the very ends of his hair to his toes. He closes his eyes, expecting pain as his skin crawls and then he’s bursting from his skin, legs thinning as his arms mold into something else, feathers sprouting all over his body, body growing and changing, feeling the raw power that’s contained under his skin. He blinks once, twice, and again before his vision clears and he’s standing in the clearing Levi standing there with a small smile on his face as his eyes take in every inch of Eren. 

“You’re beautiful.” Eren turns his head, looking himself over as he notices that unlike the pure stars that cover Levi, Eren is covered in nebula's and all shades of stars, ranging from the blues and greens he’s liked to bright red that shimmer. “I’m glad your eyes remained the same, I would’ve missed such a pretty color.” Eren shifts, wings shuffling as he spreads them, feeling the wind flow through his primaries. 

“I’m.. A bird.” Levi’s laugh is rich and light, and Eren’s breath is taken away when Levi laughs so freely, so open. 

“A phoenix.” Eren tilts his head, clacking his beak once as Levi smiles up at him. 

Eren wants to object, to point out that phoenix’s are made of fire, but then again, what are stars? He hops once, wings flapping as he focuses on turning back, not wanting to risk being seen this way. When he finally manages after some coaching from Levi he finds himself wearing flowing robes, a few feathers tied in his hair as he looks at his hands, seeing the faint green glow pulsing through his veins. “This is.. This is incredible!” 

“This is you, Eren. You were born for this.”

“I dreamt of this. What do we do now?”

“We fly.” Levi bursts apart, body filling into the shape of the dragon eren loves so much, and Eren follows suit, giggling at the pinpricks all over his skin as his feathers burst forth and he rises again into the form he was reborn into. Levi looks at him, waiting for Eren was he squawks and realigns a few feather that were out of place. Once Levi sees that Eren is alright he launches into the sky, body curling and uncurling, propelling him as Eren flaps powerfully and follows after, the two of them soaring among the stars once more together.

“ _We don't look at the stars in the universe and say how tragic they are, how bruised they are, even though that is what they are. We look at them and speak of the beauty they contain. The inspiration they give us. Even though stars are the scars of the universe we don't see them as these broken pieces of gaseous matter, we see them as these majestic astrological blessings that give hope to billions. What if you saw yourself in that same light, or better yet what if you saw others in a similar way._

― Ricky Maye.”


End file.
